Automatic dispensing machines and systems are commonly known to dispense or otherwise provide different types of dispensable consumable products to a user in a controlled manner. For example, dispensing systems are known to dispense and provide paper products, skincare products, cutlery, and tissue products. Such paper products may include, for example, rolled or interfolded hand towels, and the like provided out from part of a towel dispenser. Skincare products used with a pumping dispenser may include, for example, soap, lotion, or sanitizer and may be dispensed or pumped from a repository bag, bottle, or other reservoir and out of a nozzle of the pumping dispenser. Cutlery products that may be dispensed may include, for example, knives, forks, spoons, and the like automatically provided from a cutlery dispenser. Tissue products that may be dispensed may include, for example, toilet tissue or facial tissue. These different types of dispensing systems are known to be used in facilities such as break rooms, office facilities, and restrooms.
Common dispensing systems are typically activated by the user (generally in response to some type of user activity) in order to dispense and controllably provide the consumable product on demand and in an appropriate portion. For example, the user may waive a hand near a motion-activated sensor to activate the system to provide the product in a “demand mode” upon the detected hand waive motion. In another example (conventionally referred to a “hang mode”), a portion of the product may already be exposed and available to the user. The user may actively remove the already available portion (e.g., a part of a rolled or interfolded hand towel). However, the user activity of taking the available portion or tearing away the available portion may be sensed or detected as user input by the system via another type of activation sensor (more specifically in some examples referred to as a tear sensor). The tear sensor senses the continued presence or absence of the available portion. The tear sensor may operate to sense such a presence or absence of the available portion by, for example, detecting motion of the available portion as it is being pulled by the user. In another example, the tear sensor may operate to sense such a presence or absence of the available portion by detecting light that may otherwise be blocked when the available portion remains in the exposed and available position. When removed, the material of the available portion no longer blocks the light, such that detection of the light indicates a user has removed the available portion. Thus, when such a tear sensor no longer senses the continued presence of the available portion of the product, the tear sensor may generate a signal, which activates the system to provide the next available portion ready for the same or another user. While such examples allow the user to activate the sensor without actually touching the sensor, activation may also be accomplished in further examples by depressing a button or pulling a lever on a dispensing system as a way to request dispenser operation.
During operation, the dispenser typically operates through a dispense cycle to provide an appropriate portion of the consumable product. During this operation, common dispensers typically engage a motor to actuate and otherwise facilitate moving the dispensable consumable product from within the dispenser to a point where the user may have access to the product (e.g., out the bottom of the dispenser, out an exit port of the dispenser, etc.). In doing so, the dispenser relies upon an energized motor to turn or otherwise effect the requisite movement of part of the motor relative to other articulating structure that helps provide the product to the user requesting it. For example, the dispenser motor may turn or otherwise effect or cause movement of a spindle having a roll of perforated hand towels. In another example where the product is a towel that is not mounted on a spindle nor perforated, the towel roll may be supported about its ends on support stubs, sometimes referred to as roll holders. Below the towel roll, a drive roller and a pinch roller are positioned in close proximity to each other, creating a “nip” there between. A tail of the towel roll may be threaded through the nip. To dispense the towel, the dispenser motor may rotate the drive roller, pulling the towel through the nip via friction. The towel is then separated from the roll using a tear bar.
While some dispensing systems may be powered via a hardwired connection to a conventional AC outlet, others may be battery-powered. A battery-powered dispensing system allows for easy placement and/or movement of the dispensing system within a facility without regard to the proximity of AC power outlets or other hardwired energy sources. However, reliance upon a battery within a dispensing system can become problematic at times as the battery is repeatedly used and the available power of the battery decreases.
Common battery-powered dispensing systems are known to check the status of the battery when the dispensing motor is not running. However, such a monitoring method may lead to inaccurate results in predicting an adequate amount of power available to complete a dispense cycle operation. For example, a problem using known dispenser battery monitoring techniques is that they may not catch situations that may result in a stall or partial dispense cycle situation. In a stall or partial dispense cycle, the dispensing motor may start moving (e.g., rotating, pumping, actuating, etc.) so as to start to provide the dispensable consumable product. However, the dispense motor may be unable to complete the dispense cycle because, for example, the battery is incapable of supplying enough energy during the dispense cycle to complete the cycle despite being able to supply energy to start to provide the dispensable product. In such a situation, the dispensing apparatus may become jammed with a partially ejected or otherwise provided product and the user being left frustrated and dissatisfied. For situations where the dispensed product may be in a form that may be pumped out (such as liquid soap), the dispensing apparatus may not complete the dispense cycle such that the pump dispenser is left stuck in an open position, which may undesirably drain the rest of the dispensable product out and create further user frustration, dissatisfaction, and a janitorial mess to clean up.
To help address these types of problems, an improved way to predict successful dispensing operations is needed when the dispenser is battery powered. Thus, there remains a need for an improved method, system, and apparatus for monitoring a dispensing status of a battery-powered dispenser.